Area Guide: Chinatown

By Brittany Bokzam

We’ve rounded up the best places to eat and drink in Chinatown, from new openings to established favourites.

You can find a Chinatown in just about every big city on Earth, but thanks to London’s huge Asian community, we’ve lucked out with one of the most vibrant, exciting and authentic Chinatowns outside of China.

An unfortunate misconception about Chinatown is that its offerings are limited to Chinese cuisine. In reality, this area is a multicultural blend of many distinct nationalities. Here, you’ll find Vietnamese, Japanese, Malaysian, Thai food and more.

Not sure where to start? Below, we’ve highlighted a few of Chinatown’s newest restaurant openings. After that, read on for a guide to the best dishes in Chinatown and where to get them. Even if you’ve missed the Chinese New Year celebrations, you’ll still find plenty of excitement in this neighbourhood.

The Best New Restaurants in Chinatown

Bao & Noodle

This place cuts right to the chase: at Bao & Noodle, you’ll find plenty of bao buns and noodles. They draw inspiration from Dongbei, the northeastern region of China, known for hearty cooking with frequent use of pickled ingredients. Buns are available with several types of fillings, and even though it’s not in the name, handmade dumplings are on the menu, too. You’ll even be able to watch the chef prepare them.

Le Hanoi

Le Hanoi is a newly opened Vietnamese restaurant specializing in pho, a fresh, light take on noodles that many find completely addictive. At Le Hanoi, the stock is slow-cooked for 16 hours to create the broth. And while seafood or vegetarian pho are available, the combo pho is the real winner, featuring six different cuts of beef. Le Hanoi’s dishes might be traditional, but its space is sleek, modern, and popping with bright colours.

Yamagoya

This popular ramen brand has just opened a six-month pop-up in Chinatown, starting December 2016 – it’s their first stint in the U.K. They can be found at Shuang Shuang, serving their signature handmade ramen noodles in tonkotsu broth. Fans of spicy food should go for the tobanjan ramen. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your toppings, and try some of the snacks, like the Japanese salads and dumplings they’ve got on offer.

A Foodie’s Guide to Chinatown

Best Hot Pot: Shuang Shuang

Hot pot is one of the most important parts of China’s culinary and social culture, a tradition that goes back centuries. Guests at Shuang Shuang get a true Chinese hot pot experience, cooking at their own tables. Choose from over 40 ingredients that roll past on a conveyor belt (yes, like the sushi places), and toss in portions of fish, chicken, beef, vegetables and more. It’s an interactive experience where you get to learn about another culture – and get your food cooked exactly the way you like it.

Best Dumplings: Dumplings Legend

Siu long bao is a traditional, steamed soup dumpling that can be sampled at Dumplings Legend, where it’s made with a range of fillings. Some of these include spicy pork, prawn, chicken and vegetable. Other types of dumplings are available as well, such as the crescent-shaped jiaozi, alongside dim sum, chow mein and several more classic Chinese dishes.

Best Bubble Tea: Happy Lemon

Happy Lemon is an international institution: with more than 500 branches in over 100 cities across the world, they’re a firm fixture in the bubble tea phenomenon. Bubble tea is a Taiwanese drink traditionally made with black tea, milk and tapioca balls, but since it’s found mainstream popularity, most places serve it in an array of colourful variations. At Happy Lemon, they keep things simple. They offer their “milk tea with tapioca” (that’s the one you want) in just a few flavours, keeping their concoctions close to the original.

Best Chicken: Baiwei

Baiwei specializes in authentic Sichuan cuisine. Sichuan is a province in China known for spicy food, making use of peppers and ginger – this is the home of the original Kung Pao Chicken. Baiwei cooks up a more traditional version of that popular dish, emphasizing spice over sweetness. But don’t hesitate to try things with names you haven’t heard before, either. From stews to stir-fry to salads, every dish at Baiwei is true to the spirit of Sichuan cooking.

Best Street Food: Baozi Inn

Many make the trip to Chinatown just for the bao buns at Baozi Inn. Perfectly fluffy, made with real flour instead of rice, and stuffed with the usual varieties of meat or vegetables, Baozi Inn’s buns are a filling and flavourful snack. This is another place specializing in Sichuan cuisine, so expect more spice. Along with the bao buns, try the skewered meats or the dumplings.

Best Curry: Rasa Sayang

Moving away from China for a moment, Rasa Sayang is an excellent spot to try Malaysian and Singaporean food. The menu covers a range of traditional dishes, including Nasi Lemak (coconut rice with curried chicken) and Singapore Black Pepper Crab. Rasa Sayang is also the only place in Chinatown, to our knowledge, where you can find Kueh Pie Tee, a kind of savoury tart filled with chicken and shrimp.

Best Bar: Opium

Opium is a three-story venue where you can get dim sum and Chinese tea as well as liquor. They’ve got an intriguing seasonal cocktail menu put together by expert bartenders and mixologists; drinks are crafted with homemade syrups. The ambiance is intimate and relaxed, immersing guests in a Hong Kong of decades past.